Meraas
From developer to connector
Meraas is one of the most progressive urban developers in the UAE. Working across real estate, hotels, healthcare, food, technology and entertainment, it has a uniquely holistic approach to development and a wide footprint in the Middle East. The problem when Meraas approached us was that not many people had heard of the organisation and fewer still knew what it stood for, making it hard to attract the right investors, partners and talent. Meraas had always been uncharacteristically modest for a developer in its region, but with new developments in the pipeline, it was time for a stronger public voice and presence.
New story, new experience
We created a new purpose for Meraas – to encourage an active urban life – and activated this throughout the organisation and region. This meant crafting a new story, organising a previously unwieldy portfolio around customer needs, and devising experience principles which we used to design services and touchpoints to bring the brand to life. Bringing the brand to life also meant designing a new visual identity. Central to this was an active and functional ‘urban language’. Using the Meraas logo as a basis, we crafted a unique symbol for each of Meraas’s large-scale ‘Neighbourhoods’ and used these symbols to aid navigation and connect together Meraas’s vast portfolio. These Neighbourhood symbols formed the basis of a cryptic and exciting launch campaign. After the reveal, and in celebration of ‘active urban life’, we invited mass participation from across Dubai to celebrate culture, creativity, and community over several weeks of activations and events.
More awareness, more impact
Meraas has moved from a silent developer to a consumer-facing ‘connector’ that speaks directly with people and invites them to take part in shaping the spaces around them. The brand has united disparate business units, given the company a clear voice, and allowed it room to grow in new sectors. It now has the confidence to talk with its stakeholders and with the world beyond. Just weeks after launch, brand awareness was up by 19%, with a 21% increase in footfall to Meraas’s Neighbourhoods.
In addition to this, the work took home gold in 5 categories at the Transform MENA Awards in Dubai, and landed the overall grand prix prize. This is just the beginning of a multi-year strategy, and we’re thrilled to be partners on the journey.
- Awareness of the brand up by 19%
- 21% increase in visitor footfall
